The Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has approved on first reading a proposed ordinance aimed at safeguarding the city’s rich history, rituals, traditions, and landmarks.
Authored by Councilor Wilson Gamboa, Jr., the measure —dubbed the “Historical Mapping Ordinance of Bacolod City” —mandates the City Tourism Office (CTO) to spearhead the comprehensive mapping of all historical items and sites in the city.
Gamboa, who previously authored the “Bacolod Tangible and Intangible Heritage Ordinances,” explained that the city, as the gateway of Negros Occidental, possesses a unique and inherent culture characterized by rituals, practices, and historic areas that must be documented and protected.
He stressed that the effort is not just for tourism, but also to “pay homage to our ancestors and take pride in their legacies and sacrifices.”
The proposal seeks to fulfill the mandate of Republic Act 10066, or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, which requires local government units to undertake cultural mapping in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
The proposed ordinance designates the CTO as the overall coordinator of the Historical Mapping Project, working closely with the barangays and the NCCA.
The City Mayor is authorized to initiate a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the NCCA and other partner agencies to implement the Cultural Mapping Project, which includes training barangay action officers and workers in historical information gathering, the proposed ordinance said.
The Public Information Office (PIO) will implement an intensified, citywide campaign to encourage public participation, urging the community to help identify heritage sites for validation, it said.
A Technical Working Group, composed of city officials and council committees, will be tasked with drafting the implementing rules within 60 working days.
The CTO must submit quarterly and annual progress reports to the Office of the City Mayor and the SP, the proposed ordinance said.
The project will be initially funded with P500,000, and additional annual appropriations may be requested to sustain the program.
Gamboa said “This proposed ordinance is about preserving Bacolod’s soul by mapping our historical artifacts or items and heritage sites. In doing so, we define and protect our identity, something which the present generation need to learn from and pass on as a legacy to future generations”.*
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